Portable motor driven device



J. YOUHOUSE PORTABLE MOTOR DRIVEN DEVICE F eb. 22, 1944 original FiledJuly so, 1938 INVENToR Josevi: Yacwuse Patented Feb. 22, 1944 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE MGTCR DRIVEN DEVICE Joseph Youhouse,Fairfield, Conn., assigner to Casco Products Corporation, Bridgeport,Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Original application July 30, 1938,Serial No.

222,123, now Patent No. 2,264,033, dated November 25, 1941. Divided andthis application July 9, 1941, Serial No. 401,581

6 Claims.

This application is a division of application, Serial No. 222,123, filedJuly 30, 1938, now Patent Number 2,264,033,`issued November 25, 1941,and relates to power tools, and, more particularly, to a portable motordriven device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a portable motor drivendevice which can be comfortably held in the hand and readily manipulatedby the user. To this end, the device of the present invention isprovided with a casing which houses the motor of the device and forms ahandle for the same, being so shaped that it comfortably fits Within,and can be easily and readily7 grasped by the hand of the user.

In the now preferred form of the invention, the casing is substantiallyoval having a relau tively pointed end through which projects a toolcarrying member driven by the motor, the opposite end of the casingbeing of generally spherical shape and carrying an actuator for a switchenclosed within the casing.

The switch actuator in the now preferred form of the invention comprisesa button having a convex shape to conform with the generally sphericalend of the casing. The outer surface of the button is substantiallyflush with the adjacent portion of the casing and presents no raisedsurfaces such as might interfere with the handling of the device.

In the illustrated embodiment of this invention, the casing is formed ofa plurality of sections of moldable material suitably fastened togetherand reinforced by a ring which is disposed around the exterior of thecasing and locked in place, The switch is held in operative positionbetween the two halves of the casing.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a front elevational View having a part of the casing brokenaway to show partly in section and partly in elevation the cutting tooland the switch which controls the operation of the motor.

2 is a side elevational view with a `portion of the casing broken away.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the device.

The device of the present invention comprises a casing lil housing amotor IIv and means for mounting the same. The armature shaft I2 of themotor projects from one end of the casing and forms a tool drivingmember, the tool herein being shown as a cutter blade I3 cooperatingwith a perforated cutter head i4 for severing hair from the face of theuser.

The motor I I and the means for mounting the same is disclosed andclaimed in my cepending application above identied and will not bespecifically described herein.

The motor mounting means comprises a subframe I5 which supports themotor and has an integral collar IB carrying a bearing assembly Il forsupporting one end of the armature shaft I2 of the motor.

Since the subfrarne carries the motor, it will take the strain incidentto the operation thereof and the casing can be made of Tonite or othersuitable material which can be readily molded.

The subframe, not only carries the motor, but is also adapted to havethe tool mounted thereon. The tool of the present invention, referringnow to Fig. 1, comprises a substantially truncate collar I8 adapted tobe threaded to the collar it of the subframe and has an outwardly flaredcasing I9 secured to a reduced neck portion 20 of the collar I8 so as toextend outwardly thereof and forms a hollow casing surrounding the end0;" the armature shaft. The outer face of the hollow casing supports anoutwardly projecting flange 2I carried by the cutter head I4 which islocked to the casing by a flanged ring 22.

The cutter head is provided with a plurality of hair-receiving apertures23 herein shown as radial slots extending through the face and side wallof the cutter head. Within the cutter head is mounted the cutter bladeI3 having a plurality of cutting surfaces 24 which cooperate with theslots in the cutter head to sever hairs extending therethrough uponrelative rotation of the blade with respect to the head.

The cutter blade is coupled to the drive shaft for rotation therewith,and, in the preferred form of the invention, the blade is coupled to thedrive shaft through a sleeve 25 adapted to fit over the projecting endof the armature shaft and extend into a recess 25 formed in the collari6. The end face 21 of the sleeve is provided with a socket 28 toreceive the end of the drive shaft. The end of the drive shaft isslabbed as at 29 and the inner wall of the socket is correspondinglyshaped so as to provide a positive driving connection between the shaftand the sleeve.

Upon rotation of the armature shaft, the cutter blade which is mountedin an open transverse slot 30 formed in the upper end of the sleeve 25,will be driven through the engagement of the walls of the slot with theblade.

The cutter blade is yieldingly urged into engagement with theundersurface of the cutter head by a spring 3|.

The casing II), which houses the motor and the subframe upon which themotor is mounted, as it is to form a handle by which the device may begrasped in use, preferably is given a shape so that it may becomfortably held in the hand of the user.

In the now preferred form of the invention., the casing is made up oftwo sections, each being substantially semioval in cross section andforming, when secured together, a generally oval casing having a pointedend adjacent the tool, the

opposite end being of generally spherical shape and carrying an actuatorfor a switch enclosedA within the casing. The sections of the casing aresecured together by suitable screws 32.

The switch preferably is of the type described in the copendingapplication, Serial No. 208,512, led May 18, 1938, and comprises a pairof contacts 33 which are movable'into engagement with a pair of contacts34 carried by a fixed contact plate 35.

One of the iixed contacts is connected to the eld coil 36 which isconnected to one of the brushes of the motor by a conductor, not shown,while the other xed contact is connected to a suitable conductor to theother brush of the motor. The movable contacts 33 are each connected toone conductor of a twin conductor cord 31.

The switch enclosed by the casing is held in proper relation thereto bysections of the casing, for the switch actuator 38 is provided with aperipheral ange which is rotatably mounted in grooves 39 formed on theinterior side of each section of the casing.

The switch actuator 38, in the now preferred form of the invention,comprises a button having a convex shape to conform with the generallyspherical end of the casing. The outer surface of the button issubstantially flush with the adjacent portion of the casing and presentsno raised surfaces such as might interfere with the handling f thedevice.

To prevent the sections of the casing from separating, a ring lill isdisposed about the exteriorsurface thereof adjacent the collar I 8.Preferably, this ring has a flange 4I disposed about an annular seat 44and is clamped in place by the collar I 8 when the latter is threadedonto the end of the collar I6 of the surframe.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of thisinvention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim: f

l. A power tool comprising a housing adapted to be held in the hand, amotor in said housing, a tool carrying member projecting from thehousing adapted to be actuated by the motor, said housing being ofgenerally oval form, a switch in said housing, a rotatable actuatingmember for said switch located at the rear end of said housing andsubstantially flush with, and conforming in shape to said end and alead-in conductor entering said housing through an aperture centrallyformed in said actuating member, said lead-in conductor secured to androtatable with said actuating member about an axis coincident with thelongitudinal axis of said tool.

2. A power tool comprising a housing adapted to be held in the hand,said housing being of generally oval form having a pointed forward endand a substantially semi-spherical rear end, a motor within saidhousing, tool carrying means mounted on the rotor and extending out ofsaid housing at the pointed end, a switch within said housing, anactuating member for said switch comprising a rotary button mounted inthe substantially semi-spherical end of the housing so` as to be flushwith the surface thereof, said button being of convex form andsubstantially conforming in Shape to the rear end of said housing, and alead-in conductor extending thru an aperture centrally formed in saidbutton, said conductor secured to said button and rotatable therewithabout an axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of said tool.

3. A power tool comprising a pair of longitudinally separable sectionsforming when secured together a housing of generally oval form, a motorin said housing, a tool carrying member projecting from the front end ofsaid housing, a switch in said housing, an actuating member for Saidvswitch located at the rear end of said housing and substantially flushwith, and conforming in shape to said end of the housing, said actuatingmember being rotatable about the longitudinal axis of said tool andhaving a centrally formed aperture therein, a conductor extending thrusaid aperture and connected to said switch and means for securing saidsections together, the secured together sections holding said switch andactuator against accidental movement.

4. A power tool comprising a pair of longitudinally separable sectionsforming when secured together a housing of generally oval form, a motorin said housing, a tool carrying member projecting from the housing, aswitch in said housing, an actuating member for said switch located atthe rear end of said housing and substantially ush with, and conformingin shape to said end of the housing, said actuating member beingrotatable about the longitudinal axis of said tool and having acentrally formed aperture therein, a conductor secured to said switchand coaxially projecting rearwardly through said aperture and rotatablewith said actuating member and means for securing said sectionstogether, the secured together sections holding said switch and actuatoragainst accidental movement, the tool carrying member including meansfor locking said securing means to said housing.

5. A power tool comprising a pair of longitudinally separable sectionsforming, when secured together, a housing of generally oval form adaptedto be held in the hand, and having a pointed forward end and asubstantially semi-spherical rear end, means for securing said sectionsto gether, a motor within said housing, tool carrying means mounted onthe rotor and extending out of said housing at the pointed end, a switchwithin said housing, and an actuating member for said switch comprisinga rotary button mounted in the substantially spherical end of thehousing so as to be ush with and substantially conforming in shape tosaid end, said button being rotatable about the longitudinal axis ofsaid tool and having a centrally formed opening therein, a conductorcoaxially extending through said opening and iixed to rotate with saidbutton, the secured together sections of said housing holding saidswitch and actuating member against accidental movement, the toolcarrying means including means for locking said securing means to saidhousing.

6. A power tool comprising a housing adapted to be held in the hand; amotor in said housing; a tool-carrying member projecting from thehousing adapted to be actuated by the motor; a switch in said housing; arotatable actuating member for the switch located at the rear end ofsaid housing, said housing having an inwardly curved end and theactuating member having an exterior surface which is a continuation ofthe curvature of the housing to provide a rounded end for the housing,the actuating member having a central aperture; and a lead-in conductorfor connecting the motor to a source of power entering said housingthrough the aperture, said actuating member being rotatable about anaxis coincident with the longitudinal axis of the tool.

JOSEPH YOUHOUSE.

